I started DNF-ing more this year, and it's amazing! It was hard for me before, but since I created a "dnf" folder on Goodreads, it became easier. I almost get the feeling of accomplishment when I add another book to it!😅
I also have a DNF shelve and also one for DNF-SERIES, different from the ONGOING-SERIES one. But my question is, how do you mark those books? Because we only have the 3 options: want-to-read, currently-reading and read. I don't want 10 books in my current reads and I hate those books on my want-to-read list. I did comment somewhere that we need a DNF option that is not counting thouse books to the year-total, but also removes them from the current reads or from the TBR. I wish we had such an option. Also, most of these books I don't finish I really hate, so I do comment on them and I give them 1 star. But I know many people don't rate books they don't finish or don't like 🤷🏻♀️. I don't think that's fair, because like that some awful books get good ratings they don't deserve.
My english is not that great, but will try to explain. When you go to goodreads on your computer/laptop, you can go to “my books” and edit the shelfs. (Top left) There are options to check a box that makes a shelf primair. And a book can only be on one of these primair shelf. (Like to read, currently reading and read) So you can make your own DNF shelf.
@@Tharia1981you can create a DNF shelf and label it as a main shelf so books on there can't also be on the read / want to read shelves. For it not to count towards your yearly total don't add a read date. At least that's what I do and it works for me.
Oh I'm surprised about In the Dream House, it's one of my favorite memoirs and Carmen María Machado is such an excellent writer! I'm not sure if you only tried the audiobook, but I'm sure it would work better for you with the physical version, because of the way the chapters are structured. This year I'm finally learning to DNF books, I tend to force myself to push through even when I don't like them, and it puts me in reading slumps, so thank you for encouraging me to do so more often!
In the Dream House being a DNF is CRIMINAL. It seems like such an Emily book, I can't articulate it well but it seems like a book that you would love. If you feel like it I think giving it a second chance try it out in the physical version! If any of the books on this list deserve it, it's this one.
Haha I loved Vera Wong, Remarkably Bright Creatures, June Farrow, and Spells For Forgetting! But I’m glad you decided to put down books that you weren’t enjoying, 100% in support of that even with books I loved. You’re so right that you can usually tell early on whether or not you’ll like a book, so you gotta go with your instincts!
I got rid of all the books on my shelves that had any kind of sexual assault/abuse in them. No, thank you, do not want that energy in my house. Sad to say, there were a lot. I regret nothing.
I have a folder on Goodreads for paused books-books I think I will like but just not in the mood for-as well as the dnf folder, which I use for not for me books.
Yes this year I DNFd 45books! I was definitely being more critical this year than ever. I definitely feel more confident about not feeling it if the writing is bad it is not going to get better! If I'm dreading to pick up the book. It's not going to get better.
Good for you for DNFing! I learned to be proud to DNF in my mid-30s at the same time I switched to getting most of my books from the library instead of buying everything. What I read is all over the place and I cheerfully put a book down if it’s not working. :)
I'm a huge fan of Elif Shafak's books so would encourage you to continue with The Forty Rules of Love (and to try The Island of Missing Trees). I also highly recommend all her work, but especially The Bastard of Istanbul
When you started talking about the challenges of reading the old classics of sci-fi, I was immediately like "oh I bet she's talking about Ringworld" HAHA I forced myself to finish that one years ago and honestly wish I hadn't even bothered after the exact same ick moments you talked about, so good for you for kicking it to the curb!
Did you listen to In the Dream House on audio? It's definitely preferable to read it with the physical copy. If nothing else, I recommend trying the "choose your own adventure" style chapter. We studied it in my creative nonfiction class; the narrative style makes for a very impactful (although depressing) experience.
Okay!! So I’m so glad you mentioned that thing about Odd Thomas, because the book it spoiled was a book was had been looking forward to reading for AGES! I was so mad! I didn’t finish Odd Thomas for a long time and honestly I liked the movie better. Dean Koontz is my mortal enemy.
Been DNF'ing more this year, it's fun because when you register a book as dnf on Storygraph, it creates separate stats for those books AND it counts the pages towards your pages read, so I don't feel it was a waste as I did before!
We love to hear you complain about books! I liked a couple of these but again I get that we all have different opinions and as you say we need to be emotionally invested! Merry Christmas and I hope you and the cats had a great time!
Remarkably bright creatures I read to satisfy a prompt and part of a book club I had no intentions to read it before that and I felt surprised that I liked it. I think when books are hyped or popular your expectations are higher and thus most of the time I feel are let down. This past year I've been trying to be mindful about is my interest in a book because of the hype or my genuine interest in themes and being realistic about trends I see in popular books that I don't like. It's hard to tell really but this year the "cozy fantasy". Was not working I am hearing a lot of disappointment retrospectively on that trend now. In
Remarkbly Bright Creatures I had to push through. I wanted to finish it before the new year and I gave it 4 stars. It comes together the last 50/100 pages.
Oh, yeah. I have dropped many, many books after chapter 1. Sometimes, I’ll skip to the back to see if it had a happy ending, but if it can’t catch me in that first chapter, I’m not going to invest my time reading a whole book. My time is too valuable and there are too many good books out there for that!
Forty Rules of Love is in my “pile of shame” too 😬 I thought I would love it because I really enjoy Rumi’s poetry and have for years. I’m not hatingggg the book but I’m not as into it as I thought I would be, I just feel meh about it so it’s just been sitting in my “I’ll finish it eventually… maybe” pile 😅. Island of Missing Trees was so good though!! Hopefully you’ll like that one better 😊
So interesting that you found The Lighthouse Witches slow-paced while it was an absolute page-turner for me. But if you wanted witches that one wasn't it, it's more about witch-hunt (which is inevitably less fun).
Anyone that told you The Unmaking of June Farrow is "witchy" misrepresented the entire premise of the book, which sucks. It was one of my favorite reads of this year, but it's magical realism/light fantasy with some timey-whimey stuff. Honestly, I don't think it's one you'd love. I don't know if you've ever tried the White Haven Witches series, but that is a really fun series following a coven of adult witches in England. There's some historical aspects to it, but it's a modern day setting. It also includes other creatures like shifters and (dangerous, borderline evil) merfolk, and even a merry band of paranormal hunters. I've only read the first couple of books, but it's one of those series that I find easy to pick up whenever. There's also a cozy paranormal mystery series called Mitzy Moon Mysteries that I think might satisfy the desire for adult characters doing things. This one has a witchy-ish main character, a very strong-willed cat, a nosy ghost, a wizard lawyer, and a police chief that just wants Mitzy to stop trying to solve crimes. I just started getting into this series and it's got a good mix of deadpan humor and dad jokes, very easy to read when you aren't sure what you're in the mood for but want to pick *anything* up.
If you were interested in Remarkably Bright Creatures but, like me, wanted more octopuses than humans try Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery. Nonfic about octopuses, I gave it 5/5 and plan on reading more of her books about animals.
I didn't expect to like Remarkably Bright Creatures, but I read it for my library book club. I ended up really liking it. It wasn't stupid as I expected a book about an animal would be.
I haven´t dnf´d a single book this year but I did unhaul a lot without reading them. I´d gathered too many and had to make some hard choices due to space. But I must say that Remarkably Bright Creatures is one of the best ones this year, I´m sorry it wasn´t one for you. May 2025 be a great year for you and yours, with or with out books. :)
Paper Palace was a beautiful story that made me cry. I listened to the audiobook a couple years ago. The female protagonist is over 40 if I remember correctly. I don't usually read literary fiction, but this was excellent. It will be triggering for some. I dnf'd happy place, never lie, perfect marriage, final girl support group and her perfect secret.
Please share all the great books you found with older protagonists! I feel like uncommon protagonists deserve their own video ;) Same for a video about all the books about witches you loved
My DNFs: The Quiet Tenant, The Last Word, Delicate Condition, the count of Monte cristo. There were several others but these are the most well known and mostly loved ones that I couldn’t stand
I had to read Fledgling in undergrad. Here's the thing, Shori is a 53 year old Ina (vampire) in a 10 year-olds body. So many people have a hard time with that. I get it. We had an uncomfortable conversation in class about her relationship with Wright and why he initially picked her up when he found her on the side of the road. If you keep reminding yourself that she is 53, it makes the book easier to get through.
@@meggo329 LMAO! It was actually a pretty cool class. It was called "Global Issues Through Literature" or something like that. Of course we were going to read things with difficult topics/themes.
I am on my last chapter of The Mountain is You. The middle section was terrible and then it picked up. I would not necessarily recommend it unless you were in a really depressed hole. It was okay.
I think the "children's book for adults" feeling might be what people are calling New Adult. As for DNFs, I can't remember if I hard DNFed anything but there were a few that the audiobook hold ran out and now I'm back in line, or they were a soft DNF until I'm in the mood again. The curse of being a mood reader smh.
my only DNF this year is "One of us is Lying" by Karen mcmanus. i watched the first two episodes on netflix and thought it was a really interesting premise and decided to get the book. but it turned out to be more of high school drama and secrets and family stuff rather than focused on the main plot imo. which i probably would've enjoyed in HS more.
I've read "28 summers" by Elin Hilderbrand and oh my, that was a journey. I've pushed myself to finish it, constantly complaining. But I won't read her other books for sure. It was cheaters fest almost without any negative thoughts on the topic.
With only a few days left, I am STRUGGLING to try and finish “The Bright Sword,” by Lev Grossman. I’m about 120 pages in, and it’s about 600 pages long. So far, it feels like nothing has happened. I was so looking forward to the publication of this book for YEARS and I immediately went out and bought the hardback when it came out in July, so I feel guilty DNF-ing. I don’t wanna give up but I’m close!
Cozy and older female main character. “Magical Midlife Crisis.” I laughed all the way through to the end. Older lady starting over in a house willed to her by a relative. The room full of creepy dolls was hilarious.
Agree about -Odd Thomas (rea the whole series and was a total waste of time) -The Grace of Kings (boring) Prey (unpleasant pointless) -Beneath the Keep (on my pile of shame too, will go back to it)
Please do not try to read Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent nor Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein. I DNF both because the subject matter was so awful and distasteful, and I did not want to force myself to go there. There are plenty of books to read where I can feel that I really got something out of the reading effort.
I read it last year (I think) but I also didn't care for Spells for Forgetting. The main issue I had with it was the characters are supposed to be in their early/mid-30s or something, but they all acted like they were still in high school. It annoyed me.
The Olivia Butler one is a rough read, but after reading it we had a discussion about when it's okay for people to decide whether or not someone can have sex. Like obviously when you're a child you're not old enough, but what happens if you're old in your mind like in your 30-40's but still look like a child, which brought up one of the villains in the batman universe, who for some reason remains a little girl despite in years being a full grown woman. and a whole lot about consent and who can make decisions for who
Hi Emily, how do you differentiate a DNF vs a Pile of Shame?😅 I feel like I really have to dislike a book to consider a DNF… usually I just don’t finish books because my mood shifted but I think I eventually want to revisit them😬
You've got to pick up The Wind Witch by Susan Dexter. A fantasy standalone featuring an older woman (possibly a witch) and her magical horse. Brilliant, finely crafted work.
In the dream house started REALLY slow for me and I almost DNF'd it but I hung in there (it's rare I do) and I am SO GLAD I did. I ended up loving it and connecting with it so much. I felt seen. It ended up being one of my 5 stars for the year.
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed is EXCELLENT! I don't know what would I thought if I were from another country, but being from the same place the author is, the experience is amazing. The thing I want to say is that there are short stories super different one from another, so I would give it a chance if I were you.
9:32 😂 idk if she does that to everyone but she was doing to a guy named Scott. He was sending her emails and she made it a thing on her Tik Tok. Personally, I thought it was hilarious.
We need to normalise dnffing! Life is too short to force yourself through something you don't enjoy. If you pick up more Dean Koontz I recommend Watchers (my absoulte fav) and Door to December (Stranger Things vibes anyone?). They are kinda old school, but I love them!
I DNF'd I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki too! It is said to be very popular in S. Korea but this American reader does not want to read someone else's therapy transcripts. And I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself was a struggle to finish. I also DNF'd some popular fantasy books this year: Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio (felt like Dune/Name of the Wind fanfic written by a Catholic high school edgelord), The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (it has an angry disabled, disfigured character who's vicious and resentful! Because that's not clichéd at all!), The Grace of Kings by Ken Lui (zzzzzzzzzzz),The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman (I quit at the point we're told the MC has a special gift for immediately understanding any language--I'm so over fantasy books with overpowered extra special male MCs like this) and The Will of the Many by James Islington (just so many tropes, despite what else Islington was bringing).
I have a short DNF list but I'm getting better at it. Theres also a bunch of KU romances, those are super hit or miss and im onay with that. Other than those, I DNFed First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (hated how the women were written) Intruders by Ashley Saunders & Leslie Saunders (poorly written) The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (boring) An Unthinkable Thing by Nicole Lundrigan (triggers) The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (painful writing) The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (yawn) Look Up, Handsome by Jack Strange (poorly written)
I get distracted by other books or I'm not in the right mood to read them, so I soft dnf a lot of books. Its a real problem. I Might need to make it a chellenge to finish those books or DNF them for real in 2025. 🙃
Holly by Stephen King has a protagonist that is in her 50’s I recommend it was a quick read and enjoyable. Warning There are some triggers in the book you definitely get a dose of Kings political views but agree or disagree enjoyable read
For me, I have DNF = dropped, never finished, because DNF = did not finish implies I could go back and finish. There are too many awesome books for me to read than try to finish my DNF.
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke should have been a DNF for me. I felt physically ill after reading the first story, which is a testament to the author's ability to write the grotesque, but it wasn't for me. In the Dream House and I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki were also DNFs for me this year. I might give Dream House another try in physical format, but the audiobook was painful.
I liked hearing you complain about the books it’s fun but how does someone pick this many books that they DNF? I rarely have more than 2 a year that I would DNF
As an author, I read all my reviews. Honestly, I read them for patterns - both good and bad. This really helps me to know what readers are enjoying and what they aren't. I never, ever respond to reviews though because a) it feels intrusive into reader spaces and b) everyone is entitled to their opinion. On another note, I am trying to give myself permission to DNF books I am not enjoying. It's always such a struggle for me though and I'm not even sure why. I mean, life is short. Why waste it by forcing yourself to read something you don't like? Still, I have to convince myself every time. I'm hoping to get better at that this year! :)
I read "things have gotten worse since we last spoke" in the beginning of this year and you didn't miss out on anything by dnf-ing it, I can assure you. It's mildly disgusting and overall kind of boring. I can barely remember what actually happened, just some key points that I found to be especially disgusting. Plus, I struggled with the format (it's mostly e-mails and text messages) but that's my own problem I suppose.
I'm so glad you DNFed Ringworld, the single most sexist book I've ever read in my life. There are MULTIPLE alien races in which only the males are sentient, and that poor girl he gets together with is only there for insane plot reasons that are just abhorrent.
I've read Ringworld this year and the sexism has only got worse. ((mild spoilers)) Also, there was a SECOND species which used not really sentient females for reproduction. So that was a choice. Then there was the only survivor of another ship who was the ship prostitute obviously, and she hooks up with the main guy (using her ... skill to first control the main character but then falling for him, obviously). There is very little actual science and exploration of ideas in this book, which is a shame since that could have been interesting. I still have The mote in God's eye on my shelf and I am weary.
Which books did you DNF in 2024?
None 🫣 I read 40 books and I liked them all 😶🌫️
I did not 😂
@@BookswithEmilyFox sociopath. There’s some animal cruelty and racism in it.
Nita Prose "The Maid" and Fredric Backman "Beartown"
So many I forgot, but God of the Woods was one of them. Emily Wilde's second book was other.
I dnf'd a record number of books this year and I regret nothing!
I only regret it when I have paid for the book. If it's a library book I don't care
That's why I prefer using my library for books that are outside my comfort zone! It's much easier to DNF and move on!
@@BookswithEmilyFox oh yeah, the library is great for that. It's no coincidence that I got my library card this year 😀
I started DNF-ing more this year, and it's amazing! It was hard for me before, but since I created a "dnf" folder on Goodreads, it became easier. I almost get the feeling of accomplishment when I add another book to it!😅
I also have a DNF shelve and also one for DNF-SERIES, different from the ONGOING-SERIES one. But my question is, how do you mark those books? Because we only have the 3 options: want-to-read, currently-reading and read. I don't want 10 books in my current reads and I hate those books on my want-to-read list. I did comment somewhere that we need a DNF option that is not counting thouse books to the year-total, but also removes them from the current reads or from the TBR. I wish we had such an option. Also, most of these books I don't finish I really hate, so I do comment on them and I give them 1 star. But I know many people don't rate books they don't finish or don't like 🤷🏻♀️. I don't think that's fair, because like that some awful books get good ratings they don't deserve.
My english is not that great, but will try to explain.
When you go to goodreads on your computer/laptop, you can go to “my books” and edit the shelfs. (Top left)
There are options to check a box that makes a shelf primair. And a book can only be on one of these primair shelf. (Like to read, currently reading and read)
So you can make your own DNF shelf.
@@Tharia1981you can create a DNF shelf and label it as a main shelf so books on there can't also be on the read / want to read shelves. For it not to count towards your yearly total don't add a read date. At least that's what I do and it works for me.
@@zara6472 OMG, I didn't know that. I will try now, thank you 🤗
@@zara6472 It worked. You are the best. Thanks.
Oh I'm surprised about In the Dream House, it's one of my favorite memoirs and Carmen María Machado is such an excellent writer! I'm not sure if you only tried the audiobook, but I'm sure it would work better for you with the physical version, because of the way the chapters are structured.
This year I'm finally learning to DNF books, I tend to force myself to push through even when I don't like them, and it puts me in reading slumps, so thank you for encouraging me to do so more often!
Oh, the meows in the background!
Music to my cat loving ears😄☺️
LOL Clawdia will be yelling in the next few videos. She was at it again and even recruited chunky at one point 😂💀
In the Dream House being a DNF is CRIMINAL. It seems like such an Emily book, I can't articulate it well but it seems like a book that you would love. If you feel like it I think giving it a second chance try it out in the physical version! If any of the books on this list deserve it, it's this one.
I’ll try and get the ebook from my library!
Pleeeeeease give it another shot! @@BookswithEmilyFox
I liked that one too
@@BookswithEmilyFox Yay! Very happy I contributed to this book getting another chance :)
Happy holidays Emily, Clawdia 👑, Chunk, Charlie and Chipper. Hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and have a very happy and peaceful new year!
Haha I loved Vera Wong, Remarkably Bright Creatures, June Farrow, and Spells For Forgetting! But I’m glad you decided to put down books that you weren’t enjoying, 100% in support of that even with books I loved. You’re so right that you can usually tell early on whether or not you’ll like a book, so you gotta go with your instincts!
LOL they do have a similar vibes so it makes sense!
@ yeah I clearly like cozy, wholesome books 😂
I got rid of all the books on my shelves that had any kind of sexual assault/abuse in them. No, thank you, do not want that energy in my house. Sad to say, there were a lot. I regret nothing.
I have a folder on Goodreads for paused books-books I think I will like but just not in the mood for-as well as the dnf folder, which I use for not for me books.
Yes this year I DNFd 45books! I was definitely being more critical this year than ever. I definitely feel more confident about not feeling it if the writing is bad it is not going to get better! If I'm dreading to pick up the book. It's not going to get better.
Good for you for DNFing! I learned to be proud to DNF in my mid-30s at the same time I switched to getting most of my books from the library instead of buying everything. What I read is all over the place and I cheerfully put a book down if it’s not working. :)
I'm a huge fan of Elif Shafak's books so would encourage you to continue with The Forty Rules of Love (and to try The Island of Missing Trees). I also highly recommend all her work, but especially The Bastard of Istanbul
When you started talking about the challenges of reading the old classics of sci-fi, I was immediately like "oh I bet she's talking about Ringworld" HAHA I forced myself to finish that one years ago and honestly wish I hadn't even bothered after the exact same ick moments you talked about, so good for you for kicking it to the curb!
This thread is so cool. I am going to DNF without guilt from now on.
Did you listen to In the Dream House on audio? It's definitely preferable to read it with the physical copy. If nothing else, I recommend trying the "choose your own adventure" style chapter. We studied it in my creative nonfiction class; the narrative style makes for a very impactful (although depressing) experience.
I did! I’ll see if my library has the ebook!
Okay!! So I’m so glad you mentioned that thing about Odd Thomas, because the book it spoiled was a book was had been looking forward to reading for AGES! I was so mad! I didn’t finish Odd Thomas for a long time and honestly I liked the movie better. Dean Koontz is my mortal enemy.
What was the book? Do you remember?? It’s haunting me now 😂
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Thank you!!
Been DNF'ing more this year, it's fun because when you register a book as dnf on Storygraph, it creates separate stats for those books AND it counts the pages towards your pages read, so I don't feel it was a waste as I did before!
Remarkably, bright creatures was one of my favorites!!!
We love to hear you complain about books! I liked a couple of these but again I get that we all have different opinions and as you say we need to be emotionally invested! Merry Christmas and I hope you and the cats had a great time!
Remarkably bright creatures I read to satisfy a prompt and part of a book club I had no intentions to read it before that and I felt surprised that I liked it. I think when books are hyped or popular your expectations are higher and thus most of the time I feel are let down. This past year I've been trying to be mindful about is my interest in a book because of the hype or my genuine interest in themes and being realistic about trends I see in popular books that I don't like. It's hard to tell really but this year the "cozy fantasy". Was not working I am hearing a lot of disappointment retrospectively on that trend now. In
I’m glad for you that you dnf’d Remarkably Bright Creatures. There is a character in there you would probably have hated!
When Among Crows and Unmaking of June Farrow were two of my favourites from the year
Remarkbly Bright Creatures I had to push through. I wanted to finish it before the new year and I gave it 4 stars. It comes together the last 50/100 pages.
Oh, yeah. I have dropped many, many books after chapter 1. Sometimes, I’ll skip to the back to see if it had a happy ending, but if it can’t catch me in that first chapter, I’m not going to invest my time reading a whole book. My time is too valuable and there are too many good books out there for that!
Forty Rules of Love is in my “pile of shame” too 😬 I thought I would love it because I really enjoy Rumi’s poetry and have for years. I’m not hatingggg the book but I’m not as into it as I thought I would be, I just feel meh about it so it’s just been sitting in my “I’ll finish it eventually… maybe” pile 😅. Island of Missing Trees was so good though!! Hopefully you’ll like that one better 😊
So interesting that you found The Lighthouse Witches slow-paced while it was an absolute page-turner for me. But if you wanted witches that one wasn't it, it's more about witch-hunt (which is inevitably less fun).
Anyone that told you The Unmaking of June Farrow is "witchy" misrepresented the entire premise of the book, which sucks. It was one of my favorite reads of this year, but it's magical realism/light fantasy with some timey-whimey stuff. Honestly, I don't think it's one you'd love.
I don't know if you've ever tried the White Haven Witches series, but that is a really fun series following a coven of adult witches in England. There's some historical aspects to it, but it's a modern day setting. It also includes other creatures like shifters and (dangerous, borderline evil) merfolk, and even a merry band of paranormal hunters. I've only read the first couple of books, but it's one of those series that I find easy to pick up whenever.
There's also a cozy paranormal mystery series called Mitzy Moon Mysteries that I think might satisfy the desire for adult characters doing things. This one has a witchy-ish main character, a very strong-willed cat, a nosy ghost, a wizard lawyer, and a police chief that just wants Mitzy to stop trying to solve crimes. I just started getting into this series and it's got a good mix of deadpan humor and dad jokes, very easy to read when you aren't sure what you're in the mood for but want to pick *anything* up.
The Island of Missing Trees is a beautiful story. Hope you will like it :)
If you were interested in Remarkably Bright Creatures but, like me, wanted more octopuses than humans try Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery. Nonfic about octopuses, I gave it 5/5 and plan on reading more of her books about animals.
I’m pretty sure I have it on my shelf!
I DNF over 30 books this year 🙈 I just have no patience anymore for books I‘m not enjoying. My last one was The Spellshop
I didn't expect to like Remarkably Bright Creatures, but I read it for my library book club. I ended up really liking it. It wasn't stupid as I expected a book about an animal would be.
why do you expect books about animals to be stupid?
Hope you had amazing Christmas Emily and ur fur babies 📚📖📖📖📖📚📖📖📖📚📙📖📚📙📙📚📖📖📖📖📚📙📙📚📖📖📚📙📙📚📚📙📙📚
I haven´t dnf´d a single book this year but I did unhaul a lot without reading them. I´d gathered too many and had to make some hard choices due to space. But I must say that Remarkably Bright Creatures is one of the best ones this year, I´m sorry it wasn´t one for you. May 2025 be a great year for you and yours, with or with out books. :)
Nonfiction is my favorite genre but to me, self-help is its own category. I loathe self-help books, lol.
Loved remarkable bright creatures! 📖📚📖📖📖📖📙📖📙📚📖📚📙📖📙📚📚📚📙📙📚📚📙📖📙📚📚
Paper Palace was a beautiful story that made me cry. I listened to the audiobook a couple years ago. The female protagonist is over 40 if I remember correctly. I don't usually read literary fiction, but this was excellent. It will be triggering for some. I dnf'd happy place, never lie, perfect marriage, final girl support group and her perfect secret.
Please share all the great books you found with older protagonists! I feel like uncommon protagonists deserve their own video ;) Same for a video about all the books about witches you loved
My DNFs: The Quiet Tenant, The Last Word, Delicate Condition, the count of Monte cristo. There were several others but these are the most well known and mostly loved ones that I couldn’t stand
Also…I have NEVER heard of Jeneva Rose doing that to people who leave reviews
Please try in the dream house again! Maybe on print. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read.
I have only read the island of missing trees by elif shafak and I really hope you will try that one cause it's great!
i really enjoyed the island of missing trees by Elif Shafak when i read it several years ago, i'd be interested in hearing your thoughts!
I had to read Fledgling in undergrad. Here's the thing, Shori is a 53 year old Ina (vampire) in a 10 year-olds body. So many people have a hard time with that. I get it. We had an uncomfortable conversation in class about her relationship with Wright and why he initially picked her up when he found her on the side of the road. If you keep reminding yourself that she is 53, it makes the book easier to get through.
This is the literature people read in undergrad. Get your money back for that class.
@@meggo329 LMAO! It was actually a pretty cool class. It was called "Global Issues Through Literature" or something like that. Of course we were going to read things with difficult topics/themes.
I loved The Watchers by Dean Koontz. I read it in college (95-00), so i cant say if it ages well
Loved Watchers!!
I am on my last chapter of The Mountain is You. The middle section was terrible and then it picked up. I would not necessarily recommend it unless you were in a really depressed hole. It was okay.
I also DNF’d the unmaking of June farrow at around 55%. The premise was so cool, but it just did not capture me at all
Love your channel!😊
I think the "children's book for adults" feeling might be what people are calling New Adult.
As for DNFs, I can't remember if I hard DNFed anything but there were a few that the audiobook hold ran out and now I'm back in line, or they were a soft DNF until I'm in the mood again. The curse of being a mood reader smh.
You gave up on In the Dream House that quickly? That makes me sad. That book had a profound effect on me. I recommend it to many.
A few people mentioned that the issue might’ve been the audiobook so I will look into getting the e-book from my library
my only DNF this year is "One of us is Lying" by Karen mcmanus.
i watched the first two episodes on netflix and thought it was a really interesting premise and decided to get the book. but it turned out to be more of high school drama and secrets and family stuff rather than focused on the main plot imo. which i probably would've enjoyed in HS more.
“Her nose was almost unnoticeable” is absolutely crazy 😭
I've read "28 summers" by Elin Hilderbrand and oh my, that was a journey. I've pushed myself to finish it, constantly complaining. But I won't read her other books for sure.
It was cheaters fest almost without any negative thoughts on the topic.
With only a few days left, I am STRUGGLING to try and finish “The Bright Sword,” by Lev Grossman. I’m about 120 pages in, and it’s about 600 pages long. So far, it feels like nothing has happened. I was so looking forward to the publication of this book for YEARS and I immediately went out and bought the hardback when it came out in July, so I feel guilty DNF-ing. I don’t wanna give up but I’m close!
This is disappointing to hear. I have planned to read this because I love Arthurian retellings.
Cozy and older female main character. “Magical Midlife Crisis.” I laughed all the way through to the end. Older lady starting over in a house willed to her by a relative. The room full of creepy dolls was hilarious.
Agree about
-Odd Thomas (rea the whole series and was a total waste of time)
-The Grace of Kings (boring)
Prey (unpleasant pointless)
-Beneath the Keep (on my pile of shame too, will go back to it)
My top 3 were The Women, The Frozen River, Legends & Lattes
Please do not try to read Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent nor Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein. I DNF both because the subject matter was so awful and distasteful, and I did not want to force myself to go there. There are plenty of books to read where I can feel that I really got something out of the reading effort.
Wow! I’m super early!
I read it last year (I think) but I also didn't care for Spells for Forgetting. The main issue I had with it was the characters are supposed to be in their early/mid-30s or something, but they all acted like they were still in high school. It annoyed me.
The Olivia Butler one is a rough read, but after reading it we had a discussion about when it's okay for people to decide whether or not someone can have sex. Like obviously when you're a child you're not old enough, but what happens if you're old in your mind like in your 30-40's but still look like a child, which brought up one of the villains in the batman universe, who for some reason remains a little girl despite in years being a full grown woman. and a whole lot about consent and who can make decisions for who
Have you ever read non fiction from Caroline Leaf?
Hi Emily, how do you differentiate a DNF vs a Pile of Shame?😅 I feel like I really have to dislike a book to consider a DNF… usually I just don’t finish books because my mood shifted but I think I eventually want to revisit them😬
Usually pile of shame I’m pretty sure I’ll go back. At this point I’m pretty good at just knowing. I’m sure with time you’ll figure it out too!
I’ve been reading Dean Koontz for about 20 years but could never get into Odd Thomas
You've got to pick up The Wind Witch by Susan Dexter. A fantasy standalone featuring an older woman (possibly a witch) and her magical horse. Brilliant, finely crafted work.
I went to add it to my Goodreads. It’s book two of a series just fyi. In case you want to read more. I added them all so thank you for the rec!
If it's the one I'm thinking about I've read book 1 and have the second on my shelf!
In the dream house started REALLY slow for me and I almost DNF'd it but I hung in there (it's rare I do) and I am SO GLAD I did. I ended up loving it and connecting with it so much.
I felt seen.
It ended up being one of my 5 stars for the year.
Emily, have you read They never learn, by Laine Fargo? It's not a new thriller, but but it has a great main female character.
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed is EXCELLENT! I don't know what would I thought if I were from another country, but being from the same place the author is, the experience is amazing. The thing I want to say is that there are short stories super different one from another, so I would give it a chance if I were you.
9:32 😂 idk if she does that to everyone but she was doing to a guy named Scott. He was sending her emails and she made it a thing on her Tik Tok. Personally, I thought it was hilarious.
We need to normalise dnffing! Life is too short to force yourself through something you don't enjoy. If you pick up more Dean Koontz I recommend Watchers (my absoulte fav) and Door to December (Stranger Things vibes anyone?). They are kinda old school, but I love them!
I have also started leaving books I don't like. I don't force myself anymore. I give those books away.
Do you feel like it's helping?
@BookswithEmilyFox Yes and then I can focus on reading book I like.
I'm all the time donating to little free libraries.
@@MichelleP-t7o I find donating to free little libraries a joy in itself somehow.
I DNF'd I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokpokki too! It is said to be very popular in S. Korea but this American reader does not want to read someone else's therapy transcripts. And I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself was a struggle to finish. I also DNF'd some popular fantasy books this year: Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio (felt like Dune/Name of the Wind fanfic written by a Catholic high school edgelord), The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (it has an angry disabled, disfigured character who's vicious and resentful! Because that's not clichéd at all!), The Grace of Kings by Ken Lui (zzzzzzzzzzz),The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman (I quit at the point we're told the MC has a special gift for immediately understanding any language--I'm so over fantasy books with overpowered extra special male MCs like this) and The Will of the Many by James Islington (just so many tropes, despite what else Islington was bringing).
I have a short DNF list but I'm getting better at it. Theres also a bunch of KU romances, those are super hit or miss and im onay with that. Other than those, I DNFed
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston (hated how the women were written)
Intruders by Ashley Saunders & Leslie Saunders (poorly written)
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (boring)
An Unthinkable Thing by Nicole Lundrigan (triggers)
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (painful writing)
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (yawn)
Look Up, Handsome by Jack Strange (poorly written)
I get distracted by other books or I'm not in the right mood to read them, so I soft dnf a lot of books. Its a real problem. I Might need to make it a chellenge to finish those books or DNF them for real in 2025. 🙃
The Paper Palace was a DNF for me too. .
I’ve learned that there are so many that I want to read so I do DNF more than I use to
Things have gotten worse & I keep my exoskeletons to myself were two of my worst reads of 2023. You didn’t miss much.
Finally someone feels the same way I do about fredia McFadden
I spent the last 2 minutes of the video trying to cross my fingers like you did talking about the stormlight archive but I can’t. How do you do that??
LOL I don’t know how to do it the normal way!
omg I DNF'd Remarkably Bright Creatures and I tried SO hard but I just couldn't care.
Holly by Stephen King has a protagonist that is in her 50’s I recommend it was a quick read and enjoyable. Warning There are some triggers in the book you definitely get a dose of Kings political views but agree or disagree enjoyable read
"She wrote a couple of things that I thought were straight up dumb" m'a fait exploser de rire! 😂
I could not DEAL with the writing in The Hotel Nantucket either!! It felt like Elin just learned gen z slang and needed to add it to every page!
Exactly! I couldn’t look past it. It felt like she was trying too hard :/
For me, I have DNF = dropped, never finished, because DNF = did not finish implies I could go back and finish. There are too many awesome books for me to read than try to finish my DNF.
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke should have been a DNF for me. I felt physically ill after reading the first story, which is a testament to the author's ability to write the grotesque, but it wasn't for me. In the Dream House and I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki were also DNFs for me this year. I might give Dream House another try in physical format, but the audiobook was painful.
I know of at least two books that I really should have dnf’d this year
Try twilight eyes(i think that's the name) by Dean Koontz
I don't know if i said this here, ifi had sorry, but 100 pages or 10 chapters is enough for me to tell if i will like it. Good luck
I finished three women and it doesn't ever get better. I really didn't enjoy it.
I liked hearing you complain about the books it’s fun but how does someone pick this many books that they DNF? I rarely have more than 2 a year that I would DNF
We have similar DNFing tastes
"Things Have Gotten Worse" was hot garbage, you pre-judged it correctly 😅
It’s one of the lowest rated books I’ve ever seen on Goodreads!
As an author, I read all my reviews. Honestly, I read them for patterns - both good and bad. This really helps me to know what readers are enjoying and what they aren't. I never, ever respond to reviews though because a) it feels intrusive into reader spaces and b) everyone is entitled to their opinion. On another note, I am trying to give myself permission to DNF books I am not enjoying. It's always such a struggle for me though and I'm not even sure why. I mean, life is short. Why waste it by forcing yourself to read something you don't like? Still, I have to convince myself every time. I'm hoping to get better at that this year! :)
I like Grace of King...
I read "things have gotten worse since we last spoke" in the beginning of this year and you didn't miss out on anything by dnf-ing it, I can assure you. It's mildly disgusting and overall kind of boring. I can barely remember what actually happened, just some key points that I found to be especially disgusting. Plus, I struggled with the format (it's mostly e-mails and text messages) but that's my own problem I suppose.
I'm so glad you DNFed Ringworld, the single most sexist book I've ever read in my life. There are MULTIPLE alien races in which only the males are sentient, and that poor girl he gets together with is only there for insane plot reasons that are just abhorrent.
Secret History by Donna Tartt.I found it too depressing. Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano. I felt it was trying too hard to be funny.
Omg I DNF that one too!! Really quickly because they audiobook/humor wasn’t for me!
I've read Ringworld this year and the sexism has only got worse. ((mild spoilers)) Also, there was a SECOND species which used not really sentient females for reproduction. So that was a choice. Then there was the only survivor of another ship who was the ship prostitute obviously, and she hooks up with the main guy (using her ... skill to first control the main character but then falling for him, obviously). There is very little actual science and exploration of ideas in this book, which is a shame since that could have been interesting. I still have The mote in God's eye on my shelf and I am weary.
what lipgloss is that tho? 🫣😍
Joyeux Noël en retard à toi et tes 4 bouches à nourrir. ❤🌲📚🐈⬛
LOL merci! Toi aussi!
I liked Vera Wong. It was a lot of fun.
same. I love how she mentions Thursday murder club which I dnf’d lol